Latest Chinese export - coronavirus COVID-19

[Barry]

So, SPV and HDQQ, if they were so clever, why did they let it out of the country.
Conspiracy theorists say that was deliberate, perhaps if the Chinese you are both supporting, are so clever, they might be right.

[HDQQ]

I was just about to say exactly the same thing. Covid-19 first appeared in a densely populated city of 11 million in the country with the world's largest population. Despite having over 80,000 cases and 3,000 deaths, China managed to bring the spread under control and has managed to keep infection levels very low up until now (October) with just a handful of cases today.  I agree that it would neither be possible nor in the self-interest of the Chinese government to downplay the statistics to any great extent.

The west and indeed most of the rest of the world is fumbling around arguing about evening curfews, bar opening hours and who can meet who when the strictest possible lockdown is what worked in China. Lockdowns worked in other countries too, including here. It's the way lockdowns were lifted that's made the second wave so bad.

[Sampanviking]

So was persecuting the doctor who flagged the problem in the first place. He's dead now, of course.

That is not what happened, he was neither persecuted or prosecuted, but warned not to make unofficial public statements. He did not flag the virus, the virus was already flagged and being investigated by both Central Chinese Authorities and the WHO.
He was warned because telling 13 million people that they may be in a plague zone, prior to the facts being confirmed, is only going to cause panic and get potentially millions of people to flee the city and spread the contagion beyond possible control.
He died due to exposure to the virus, while working as a doctor in the hospital where he normally worked. Tragic but nothing sinister and by no means a unique event in China or the West.

The Chinese knew that they had something new, but they did not know what it was, and so ; in conjunction with the WHO, they waited until they found out for sure and then did what they had to do.
The rest of the world had the benefit of the Chinese experience to prepare their appropriate measures in advance. Some countries did and others utterly failed to do so.
There failure is the fault of their own political leadership not that of China. These countries had all the information that they needed.

[papasmurf]

So was persecuting the doctor who flagged the problem in the first place. He's dead now, of course.

Dead from Covid-19.

[Barry]

Sorry Barry, but this is border line insanity.

So was persecuting the doctor who flagged the problem in the first place. He's dead now, of course.

[Sampanviking]

I don't believe the Chinese figures SPV. Simple as that. Same as we couldn't believe they had it contained. Liars.

Sorry Barry, but this is border line insanity. There is no way they could hide a massive outbreak, the hospitals would report it, the WHO would report it, the media would report it (oh yeah they would be on it like a fly on a turd) and the people would report it. China is one of the most connected countries on earth and connected globally, if people were falling sick and it not being properly handled or reported, there would be a massive noise.
There are huge numbers of westerners living and working in China, many of them active on line, a number regular vloggers with substantial followings, they would know if things were happening.

The message however, is - "over here we got it beat" They identified it quickly, they jumped on it quickly and they beat it quickly.

The only people saying otherwise are the head banging fringe of the religious right who cannot accept that a bunch of none white, godless commies have beaten them hands down!

[Barry]

I don't believe the Chinese figures SPV. Simple as that. Same as we couldn't believe they had it contained. Liars.

[Sampanviking]

Nine Months Ago Today:
China Promised SARS-Like Disease "Under Control"
The first British TV report of a man dying in central China from a new SARS-like disease appeared on the BBC nine months ago today. Chinese Communist Party officials insisted it was "under control" and would be nothing like the covered-up 2003 SARS outbreak which killed 770 people.
Authorities said they acted early and that "the virus is contained"...

...The rest is history.

If the Chinese response was so poor, how come that China is largely virus free and has been for months and is the only major economy to return to true net growth?
Once they realised what they had, they clamped down and clamped down hard, until the virus was fully suppressed.
Here in the west, we saw it coming for months and had all the time in the world to prepare, but utterly and totally, failed to do so.
If Covid 19 has been a test of governance, Authoritarian China was shown that it has outperformed the sanctimonious west, hands down.

[T00ts]

Nine Months Ago Today:
China Promised SARS-Like Disease "Under Control"
The first British TV report of a man dying in central China from a new SARS-like disease appeared on the BBC nine months ago today. Chinese Communist Party officials insisted it was "under control" and would be nothing like the covered-up 2003 SARS outbreak which killed 770 people.
Authorities said they acted early and that "the virus is contained"...

...The rest is history.

Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself?

[Barry]

Nine Months Ago Today:
China Promised SARS-Like Disease "Under Control"
The first British TV report of a man dying in central China from a new SARS-like disease appeared on the BBC nine months ago today. Chinese Communist Party officials insisted it was "under control" and would be nothing like the covered-up 2003 SARS outbreak which killed 770 people.
Authorities said they acted early and that "the virus is contained"...

...The rest is history.

[Barry]

Interesting article from Chief Science Officer for Pfizer

https://hubpages.com/politics/Pfizer-Chief-Science-Officer-Second-Wave-Based-on-Fake-Data-of-False-Positives-for-New-Cases-Pandemic-is-Over

Introducing the idea that some prior immunity to COVID-19 already existed, the authors of "How Likely is a Second Wave?" write:

"It is now established that at least 30% of our population already had immunological recognition of this new virus, before it even arrived...COVID-19 is new, but coronaviruses are not."

They go on to say that, because of this prior resistance, only 15-25% of a population being infected may be sufficient to reach herd immunity:

"...epidemiological studies show that, with the extent of prior immunity that we can now reasonably assume to be the case, only 15-25% of the population being infected is sufficient to bring the spread of the virus to a halt..."

[Good old]

Signs from Birmingham that people with the virus are not getting so sick as before.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews/2636769-stourbridge/0
This also supports the view of an Italian doctor who was derided when he said the virus is losing its potency.

Speaking at the weekly regional coronavirus briefing this afternoon, Dr David Rosser confirmed this was the first day ICUs have been free of coronavirus patients since the start of the pandemic.

There are now only 43 patients across the whole trust who have tested positive in the last two weeks, although there are a further 137 still receiving treatment for the effects of the virus.

What a result that would be. If this thing mutated it%u2019s self into being a far less dangerous proposition for People%u2019s health.

[Barry]

Signs from Birmingham that people with the virus are not getting so sick as before.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews/2636769-stourbridge/0
This also supports the view of an Italian doctor who was derided when he said the virus is losing its potency.

Speaking at the weekly regional coronavirus briefing this afternoon, Dr David Rosser confirmed this was the first day ICUs have been free of coronavirus patients since the start of the pandemic.

There are now only 43 patients across the whole trust who have tested positive in the last two weeks, although there are a further 137 still receiving treatment for the effects of the virus.

He said it appeared current patients "don't seem to be as sick".

[patman post]

With respect to the corona virus - only thing to come out of china which lasted longer than a week.  I am promoting the message;

China Lied... People Died

Although I do not trust the official numbers too much (and the way they are presented to us) - I am suspecting that China will try and take advantage of the mess.  One message - Boycott China...

A good rallying cry worthy of Farage and Trump, but impractical. Most non-Chinese marques of  highly regarded and prestige goods contain Chinese-made components and may even be totally manufactured in China. The days of just copying "western" products are over. Today China is among the leaders in some fields — and it's actually ahead in some areas...

[Barry]

Covid government alert level down to 3.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/893769/2020-06-19_COVID-19_Press_Conference_Slides.pdf